Name: Eleanor De Montalembert Age: 14 Gender: Female Occupation: daughter of the Duke of Paris Social Class: Upper Nobility Financial situation: great Appearance: Brunette, brown eyes, 165 cm Daily routine: Wake up, eat breakfest, tutor classes, read, horseback riding, dinner, read, bed. Occasionally attends balls Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: Indecisive but determined once she decided. Loves yellow. Can't stop twirling her hair with her finger when she's nervous. The number of pages she reads per day must be an even number. Past/individual-family history: Mother: Duchess of Marseille. Father: Duke of Paris Great grandfather: the King's distant cousin.
Family owns a vast land around Paris. Family: Mother Maria, Father Paul, Oldest brother Thomas, older brother Raphael, younger brother Jean, little sister Olivia Social relations with your own and other classes (people you deal with or know about in other classes, AND your opinions and feelings about them): secretly best friends with her maid Helene: Eleanor thinks she is great and fun to talk to.
Enemies with Lisa, another nobility who's father is Eleanor's father's hunting partner: Eleanor thinks she is shadowy and embarass her all the time. Good connections with the royal family and many other noble families around France, especially the Duke of Toulouse. She dislikes the 3rd estate, thinking they are low class and filthy. Except for Helene, of course. Religion: Catholic Education: Very high Languages you speak: French, English, Latin, Italian, a little bit of German
Main privileges and/or conflicts: family extremely wealthy, receives high education. Oblivious of the lives of the peasants. Portrait (Mr. Barrons changed his mind-you must have a portrait)
Diary #1: Before the Storm
I am thinking about the grand ball tomorrow as I write on this first page of the diary my dear mother gave me for my birthday, which would be tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll be 14…and the ball would be a celebration for my birthday. Monsieur Larseneur came today to work with my hair. He said that my forehead is too high and that my hairline is too far back. My mom said that 14 is an important birthday and all must be ever more perfect and extravagant, that’s why she hired Monsieur Larseneur. Monsieur Larseneur is a fashionable and extremely notable friseu (hairdresser). He does many ladies at the Court of Versailles…even occasionally for Marie Antoinette I heard. How extremely honored am I to share the same hairdresser as France’s Queen! Monsieur Larseneur is quite a friendly man and we had a little chat. “I visit the royal court of Versaille almost every day,” he said. “Extravagant balls are held every week in Versaille. I also help pick jewelries for the ladies and sometimes the Queen. I remember last week, the Queen wore a magnificent ruby necklace, with a lining of diamonds around! Oh lala, the Queen and all the ladies in Versaille possess the most beautiful luxuries.” Oh, I am so bored with the hair and the lessons and the dancing. But Helene said they must get me near perfect, for tomorrow would be my grand celebration. Mother said that grand Dukes and Duchess from all over the country would attend, it would be an extremely important day. Father said that many of his friends would be here, those include Monsieur Frederick, one of father’s best friend and the grand Duke of Toulouse. I heard he owns many land in the south of France. It was also rumored that I might meet my future husband tomorrow, Monsieur Frederick’s second son Francis. I have heard about the planning of the engagement for years, but it was never official. Tomorrow I will meet him for the first time, and that is also a reason why I need to be perfect. Helene told me how she envied me. She told me how she never attended a ball and never wore a dress as glamorous as mine. She also mentioned how her family plans to marry her to a baker’s son. I asked her why don’t she choose someone from a higher class, and she laughed at my stupidity. “We don’t have a choice. Us commoners will never have the chance to mingle with the high class…my family is near broke, I need to get married soon so I won’t be a burden for my family.” I thought about her words carefully…broke? I did heard about stories of some extremely poor families…but I don’t believe they’re that bad. Ah, I can’t stop thinking about tomorrow night! I would be 14 and I will wear the best dress ever, I am so excited!
Diary 2: Moderate Stage
I am now 14 and a week years old. The ball was absolutely amazing and everyone said I looked like a princess. Sir Francis was such a pleasant gentleman, very handsome too. I wish we would have more acquaintances in the future. Plus! Lisa was there! I absolutely hate her. I hope had the power to control who should and should not attend MY birthday ball, but my father said that since Lisa’s father is a close friend, Lisa needs to come. She congratulated me happy birthday but I could tell she didn’t mean it. She is so fake…but I was not going to let her ruin my night. I admit that I haven’t wrote in here for a long time…but that is only because I don’t feel secure these days and had been quite busy. T the King is calling an Estates General meeting…I don’t know that much about the Estate Generals but father had told me that it was made out of members from each estate, and the last meeting was during 1614. Rumors had it that there were a disagreement between the Estate Generals and somehow, the clergy joined the third estate…Mother and Father grew increasingly worried when they heard about the Tennis Court Oath. I am not very informed with any of these events but the look of father’s worried face explains that something is going to happen. Oh, and another breaking news that the whole of Paris is talking about now: the Bastille prison had been invaded and torn down by the peasants…I was so scared and terrified when I heard the news. How could those filthy peasants do such thing! They broke down a prison, where prisoners are kept! I was so mad when I first heard the news and talked to mother about it, but mother said it’s not as simple as I thought. I don’t bother to find out what that mean; all I know is that this is complete madness. But I am sure that the King’s soldiers will take care of it… Here is a news that totally broke my heart: Helene is leaving. She told me that she really is going to marry the poor baker/shop owner’s son, named Jonathan. The shop owner lives in the land that my father owns. Her new family’s name is Owl. I remember seeing the family because their family's bakery is quite famous around here...I remember Jodi Owl, the family is somewhat famous for their bread..but still, I cannot bear this! Helene is my best friend and now she is leaving! I begged her not to go but she said that since now she belongs to a new family, she would be busy settling in and helping around the house, even give birth to children. I will miss her so much! She promised that she would write letters to me but I won’t be able to chat with her daily like I usually do…Au revoir, Helene. I am praying for the safety of the the French people…so much are happening in Paris these days but my parents refuse to let me know too much, for my safety and well being I guess. Which is true actually, I am sure I would be totally flipped if I heard more terrible news. I just wish this could all end so the tired and tense look on father and mother’s face would be wiped out.
Another long time since I’ve wrote in here…and France is not the place I knew anymore. So many things had happened…it’s not France anymore. I spent my last few days in France wondering. Death had never been so busy. Even the King himself is killed..This shocked me terribly. I gasped when I heard the news…I cried! What IS happening? The Tuileries palace had been stampeded and stormed by thousans of peasants. The guards were masscred, Louis and his family was captured, and on January 21, 1793, that fatal day, our King was executed in public. Shame! Disgrace! The whole country has sunk into madness. I have heard numerous stories about the san culottes. Those devil! Republican monsters! They dare call themselves the saviors of France, killing so many! The new government is just a big chaotic mess…Father said that almost the whole of Europe is at war with France…expecially Austria and Prussia, they even joined forces. King Leonard must be outraged to hear her sister, our Queen Marie Antoinette’s imprisonment. If the war can bring France back to the way it was, then I truly support this war. But…will it really happen? Can France really go back to the way it was…? The economic state is horrible…the people had turned to monsters…rebellions are everywhere…the goodness of this country had perished..what else is left? I heard father talk about the Law of Suspects…where the Committee of Public “Safety” had set. Safety? Safety! How dare they say so. They have killed thousands of innocent people…both peasants and nobles! The guillotine is becoming popular...Even the Church is being affected. People claimed that Christianity is no more than supersition…Even our religion is banned…I don’t understand what those people want… Father and mother had decided to leave France, for our own good, for our safety…father said we’ll go to Austria, we can get adequate protection there. We had to disguise ourselves by dressing like normal citizens. As we were sneaking out of France (we had to do this in secret), Madame Owl, a bread seller who once lived on the land we owned, found us. I believe she is the mother in law of Helene (speaking of Helene, I doubt we’ll ever meet again. I will miss her so much, I just want to tell her this myself). She was so mad…she shouted insults! Even though the peasants no longer recognize us as nobles, I am and always be a noble. I cannot stand such put down, such disgracefulness! I couldn’t hold my anger and shouted right back. “ How dare you saw such awful things! It is because of you filthy peasants that we had to leave! If we didn’t have to go, can you imagine what we can do to you and your family!” Tears were in my eyes…this is so unfair…I was going to shout out more but refrained myself from doing so. My mom told me to stop before more of us get noticed, and gave Madame Owl a small sack of money, begging her not to say to anyone we left...I was so scared on our way out of France that we would be caught. As I left the boarder of France, my motherland that I no longer knew, I couldn’t hold it anymore and wept. Au revoir, my dear France, until the next time I see you again…when I see you again, I hope that you will be in a better state…but I know my doubts.
Age: 14
Gender: Female
Occupation: daughter of the Duke of Paris
Social Class: Upper Nobility
Financial situation: great
Appearance: Brunette, brown eyes, 165 cm
Daily routine: Wake up, eat breakfest, tutor classes, read, horseback riding, dinner, read, bed. Occasionally attends balls
Personality/Quirks/Unique Personality Traits: Indecisive but determined once she decided. Loves yellow. Can't stop twirling her hair with her finger when she's nervous. The number of pages she reads per day must be an even number.
Past/individual-family history: Mother: Duchess of Marseille. Father: Duke of Paris Great grandfather: the King's distant cousin.
Family owns a vast land around Paris.
Family: Mother Maria, Father Paul, Oldest brother Thomas, older brother Raphael, younger brother Jean, little sister Olivia
Social relations with your own and other classes (people you deal with or know about in other classes, AND your opinions and feelings about them): secretly best friends with her maid Helene: Eleanor thinks she is great and fun to talk to.
Enemies with Lisa, another nobility who's father is Eleanor's father's hunting partner: Eleanor thinks she is shadowy and embarass her all the time. Good connections with the royal family and many other noble families around France, especially the Duke of Toulouse. She dislikes the 3rd estate, thinking they are low class and filthy. Except for Helene, of course.
Religion: Catholic
Education: Very high
Languages you speak: French, English, Latin, Italian, a little bit of German
Main privileges and/or conflicts: family extremely wealthy, receives high education. Oblivious of the lives of the peasants.
Portrait (Mr. Barrons changed his mind-you must have a portrait)
Diary #1: Before the Storm
I am thinking about the grand ball tomorrow as I write on this first page of the diary my dear mother gave me for my birthday, which would be tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll be 14…and the ball would be a celebration for my birthday. Monsieur Larseneur came today to work with my hair. He said that my forehead is too high and that my hairline is too far back. My mom said that 14 is an important birthday and all must be ever more perfect and extravagant, that’s why she hired Monsieur Larseneur. Monsieur Larseneur is a fashionable and extremely notable friseu (hairdresser). He does many ladies at the Court of Versailles…even occasionally for Marie Antoinette I heard. How extremely honored am I to share the same hairdresser as France’s Queen! Monsieur Larseneur is quite a friendly man and we had a little chat. “I visit the royal court of Versaille almost every day,” he said. “Extravagant balls are held every week in Versaille. I also help pick jewelries for the ladies and sometimes the Queen. I remember last week, the Queen wore a magnificent ruby necklace, with a lining of diamonds around! Oh lala, the Queen and all the ladies in Versaille possess the most beautiful luxuries.”
Oh, I am so bored with the hair and the lessons and the dancing. But Helene said they must get me near perfect, for tomorrow would be my grand celebration. Mother said that grand Dukes and Duchess from all over the country would attend, it would be an extremely important day. Father said that many of his friends would be here, those include Monsieur Frederick, one of father’s best friend and the grand Duke of Toulouse. I heard he owns many land in the south of France. It was also rumored that I might meet my future husband tomorrow, Monsieur Frederick’s second son Francis. I have heard about the planning of the engagement for years, but it was never official. Tomorrow I will meet him for the first time, and that is also a reason why I need to be perfect. Helene told me how she envied me. She told me how she never attended a ball and never wore a dress as glamorous as mine. She also mentioned how her family plans to marry her to a baker’s son. I asked her why don’t she choose someone from a higher class, and she laughed at my stupidity. “We don’t have a choice. Us commoners will never have the chance to mingle with the high class…my family is near broke, I need to get married soon so I won’t be a burden for my family.” I thought about her words carefully…broke? I did heard about stories of some extremely poor families…but I don’t believe they’re that bad.
Ah, I can’t stop thinking about tomorrow night! I would be 14 and I will wear the best dress ever, I am so excited!
Diary 2: Moderate Stage
I am now 14 and a week years old. The ball was absolutely amazing and everyone said I looked like a princess. Sir Francis was such a pleasant gentleman, very handsome too. I wish we would have more acquaintances in the future. Plus! Lisa was there! I absolutely hate her. I hope had the power to control who should and should not attend MY birthday ball, but my father said that since Lisa’s father is a close friend, Lisa needs to come. She congratulated me happy birthday but I could tell she didn’t mean it. She is so fake…but I was not going to let her ruin my night.
I admit that I haven’t wrote in here for a long time…but that is only because I don’t feel secure these days and had been quite busy. T the King is calling an Estates General meeting…I don’t know that much about the Estate Generals but father had told me that it was made out of members from each estate, and the last meeting was during 1614. Rumors had it that there were a disagreement between the Estate Generals and somehow, the clergy joined the third estate…Mother and Father grew increasingly worried when they heard about the Tennis Court Oath. I am not very informed with any of these events but the look of father’s worried face explains that something is going to happen. Oh, and another breaking news that the whole of Paris is talking about now: the Bastille prison had been invaded and torn down by the peasants…I was so scared and terrified when I heard the news. How could those filthy peasants do such thing! They broke down a prison, where prisoners are kept! I was so mad when I first heard the news and talked to mother about it, but mother said it’s not as simple as I thought. I don’t bother to find out what that mean; all I know is that this is complete madness. But I am sure that the King’s soldiers will take care of it…
Here is a news that totally broke my heart: Helene is leaving. She told me that she really is going to marry the poor baker/shop owner’s son, named Jonathan. The shop owner lives in the land that my father owns. Her new family’s name is Owl. I remember seeing the family because their family's bakery is quite famous around here...I remember Jodi Owl, the family is somewhat famous for their bread..but still, I cannot bear this! Helene is my best friend and now she is leaving! I begged her not to go but she said that since now she belongs to a new family, she would be busy settling in and helping around the house, even give birth to children. I will miss her so much! She promised that she would write letters to me but I won’t be able to chat with her daily like I usually do…Au revoir, Helene.
I am praying for the safety of the the French people…so much are happening in Paris these days but my parents refuse to let me know too much, for my safety and well being I guess. Which is true actually, I am sure I would be totally flipped if I heard more terrible news. I just wish this could all end so the tired and tense look on father and mother’s face would be wiped out.
http://frdiaries.wikispaces.com/Rebecca
Diary #3:
Another long time since I’ve wrote in here…and France is not the place I knew anymore. So many things had happened…it’s not France anymore. I spent my last few days in France wondering. Death had never been so busy. Even the King himself is killed..This shocked me terribly. I gasped when I heard the news…I cried! What IS happening? The Tuileries palace had been stampeded and stormed by thousans of peasants. The guards were masscred, Louis and his family was captured, and on January 21, 1793, that fatal day, our King was executed in public. Shame! Disgrace! The whole country has sunk into madness. I have heard numerous stories about the san culottes. Those devil! Republican monsters! They dare call themselves the saviors of France, killing so many! The new government is just a big chaotic mess…Father said that almost the whole of Europe is at war with France…expecially Austria and Prussia, they even joined forces. King Leonard must be outraged to hear her sister, our Queen Marie Antoinette’s imprisonment. If the war can bring France back to the way it was, then I truly support this war. But…will it really happen? Can France really go back to the way it was…? The economic state is horrible…the people had turned to monsters…rebellions are everywhere…the goodness of this country had perished..what else is left? I heard father talk about the Law of Suspects…where the Committee of Public “Safety” had set. Safety? Safety! How dare they say so. They have killed thousands of innocent people…both peasants and nobles! The guillotine is becoming popular...Even the Church is being affected. People claimed that Christianity is no more than supersition…Even our religion is banned…I don’t understand what those people want…
Father and mother had decided to leave France, for our own good, for our safety…father said we’ll go to Austria, we can get adequate protection there. We had to disguise ourselves by dressing like normal citizens. As we were sneaking out of France (we had to do this in secret), Madame Owl, a bread seller who once lived on the land we owned, found us. I believe she is the mother in law of Helene (speaking of Helene, I doubt we’ll ever meet again. I will miss her so much, I just want to tell her this myself). She was so mad…she shouted insults! Even though the peasants no longer recognize us as nobles, I am and always be a noble. I cannot stand such put down, such disgracefulness! I couldn’t hold my anger and shouted right back. “ How dare you saw such awful things! It is because of you filthy peasants that we had to leave! If we didn’t have to go, can you imagine what we can do to you and your family!” Tears were in my eyes…this is so unfair…I was going to shout out more but refrained myself from doing so. My mom told me to stop before more of us get noticed, and gave Madame Owl a small sack of money, begging her not to say to anyone we left...I was so scared on our way out of France that we would be caught.
As I left the boarder of France, my motherland that I no longer knew, I couldn’t hold it anymore and wept. Au revoir, my dear France, until the next time I see you again…when I see you again, I hope that you will be in a better state…but I know my doubts.
http://frdiaries.wikispaces.com/Rebecca